«The Minister of Defense is authorized to pursue defense policy, and the role of the Minister of Foreign Affairs is to explain this policy to the world.» — David Ben-Gurion.
On May 26, 1948, David Ben Gurion signed a decree on the creation of the Israel Defense Forces, Tsva Haganah le Israel, or, as we used to abbreviate it, the IDF.
In terms of the totality of qualities, such as: the level of combat and moral and psychological training, competence and initiative of the command — there is no equal to the IDF in the world!
And today I have a very interesting companion whom you all know very well: a reserve major, the IDF press secretary in Russian, and also a wonderful mother and a beautiful woman, Anna Ukolova.
— Anna, tell us a little about yourself, why did you decide to link your life with the army and what is the most difficult thing for you, as a woman, in the service?
— It’s probably important to say that I’m a reservist.
I connected my life with the army in 2005, when I signed a contract, under the terms of which I first complete my VA degree and then go on 6 years of service — 3 years of military service and 3 years of contract service.
From 2011 to 2014, I headed the department of communications with Russian-language media in the IDF press service and, as a reservist, She remained in the status of a press secretary in Russian.
I probably never had a question about linking my life with the army. The army is a part of life in Israel. I have a lot of acquaintances and friends who have served or are currently serving. Our country is constantly under attack, and I believe that if I have the opportunity to help Israel in the war we are waging against terrorism, it is not just my duty, it is my duty and a great honor for me.
— Can I find out what you are like during your leisure hours?
Do you have any hobbies?
Your favorite dish?
What books do you like to read?
— In my «leisure» hours, I am primarily a mother. I try to put my family first. During the war, the balance, of course, shifted greatly with an emphasis on the army.
I love nature walks — there are a lot of beautiful places in Israel. I love spending time by the sea. I love visiting Jerusalem. During the war, I try to visit the Wailing Wall at least once every two months. The energy of this place gives me the strength to do my job.
—What qualities do you value in people?
—I admire open—minded people who know how to express their point of view and listen to others with respect.
— What do you think is the right way to convey complex ideas so that they become understandable to a wider audience, and what is the biggest problem facing the world right now?
— I think one of the problems is that people don’t know how or don’t want to listen to others. The abundance of information leads to laziness: people are not interested in deep study of the topic and make decisions based on superficial knowledge.
How to convey the idea correctly? I’m afraid there is no exact answer to this question. People are too different and everyone’s perception of information is different.
But…. I think you have to believe in the idea first. If you truly believe in what you are doing or, as in my case, in what you are talking about, 70% of success is guaranteed.
The problem in the world is the abundance of information. People don’t always know how to «filter» information and can support an idea they don’t even really understand. This is exactly what we see in pro-Palestinian rallies around the world.
— Israel is going through very difficult times right now.
What advice would you give people, especially new repatriate who have been in the country for a short time and many are experiencing great stress: how to react to difficult news?
Where, for example, can a person who does not yet speak Hebrew go to get information in a language he understands, say Russian or English?
— First of all, it is important for me to say that the arrival of new returnees to Israel, especially at this time, makes me very happy. It’s not easy in Israel, but it’s a wonderful country with amazing people. If you open up to her and love her, Israel will reciprocate. And even if it sounds strange in our time, it’s important to appreciate and enjoy what we have.
In terms of getting information, there are many telegram channels and websites in Russian in Israel. They help to get reliable information. I can’t recommend specific journalists or TV channels, so that I won’t be accused of bias, and of course, always filter״ what you’re reading.
Photo: from Anna Ukolova’s personal archive